Organic soil as a radionuclide sink in a High Arctic environment

Summary The role of organic soil as a sink for radioactive contaminants in a High Arctic environment was studied. Samples were obtained from an area of organic soil located on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (79° N) and from a non-organic control site in the same region. Samples were differentiated into organic layers and the underlying material and measured for a suite of anthropogenic and natural radionuclides and for a variety of soil chemistry parameters. Results indicated that the organic components of the soil constitute a sink term for a number of radionuclides. Values for Pu isotopes, ¹³⁷Cs and ²³⁸U were appreciably higher at the study site than at the control site, by up to a factor of 40 for Pu and 20 for ¹³⁷Cs and ²³⁸U. The source of ²³⁸U to the site appeared to be enrichment of this isotope from surface or melt water via adsorption to to either iron hydroxides or organic matter although the situation pertaining to Pu and ¹³⁷Cs remains less clear.